Three brothers who own a coaching centre in South Bombay have been charged by the Mumbai police for allegedly abusing a 15-year-old girl sexually for about two years on many occasions. The girl said to the authorities that the brothers had sexually assaulted her while forcing her to arrive at the centre early and leave late. Following this incident on Friday, September 27, a complaint was registered against three brothers after contact was made by representatives of a child development centre, where the victim confided in a counsellor about the sexual assault in March of this year.
The police on Saturday, September 28, detained two brothers. The cops are the onlook for the oldest brother, who is absconding.
Their age is 24, 25, and 27, and they reside in South Mumbai. They conduct classes for kids from class 7 to 12.
Once her parents divorced and she moved in with her mother, the victim allegedly enrolled in the coaching centre in 2022, according to the authorities. She began attending the coaching classes as well as a new school. She did not interact much with teachers and classmates at her new school. According to the police, her mother approached the child development centre in January 2023 when she observed behavioural changes in her daughter in late 2022.
She attended the development centre for roughly four months but ceased attending in May 2023. But in February this year, she returned to the development centre, and in March, she told a counsellor that the three brothers had sexually abused her on several occasions. However, the police added that she asked the counsellor to keep it a secret from her mother out of concern for social stigma. In March, she also discontinued attending the coaching classes.
Despite the counsellor informing her mother, the mother and daughter declined to report the incident to the police. However, late on Friday night, representatives of the child development facility went to the police and filed a complaint under the applicable provisions of the Indian Penal Code and Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO), 2012, which deal with molestation, rape, unnatural intercourse, and criminal intimidation.
The 25-year-old accused began contacting her by messaging her frequently after learning of her parents' divorce, according to the counsellor's statement. By demonstrating empathy for her family's situation and taking her out for two films, he won her trust and acquired her confidence. The complaint stated, "She felt uncomfortable after the accused touched her inappropriately in the theatre.”
The girl eventually disclosed to the counsellors that she had been sexually assaulted by the other two brothers, who were 24 and 27, several times during the coaching sessions. The elder brother also sexually assaulted her in the coaching centre and his home that was nearby the institution between July and December 2023, a police officer said. He added that the 24-year-old had reportedly been abusing her since 2022.
The police reported that nearly 35 to 40 girls attended the coaching class of these three brothers, and they are investigating whether the three teachers similarly targeted any other students. After being presented in court, the two accused who had been detained were placed under police custody.
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